The company is revolutionizing paper cup production and recycling with its plastic-free, next-generation barrier board solutions.
February 26, 2019
The world is changing at a rapid pace towards a plastic free future. Development requires new and innovative solutions that can answer to new demands. Consumption and recycling are consumer’s choices, but it is up to manufacturers to provide products that answer to these challenges. Kotkamills’ ISLA® Duo answers to these specific challenges.
Kotkamills is tackling the global cup challenge head-on with game-changing barrier boards and packaging solutions. Unlike PE- and PLA-coated board manufacturers, Kotkamills uses an innovative water-based dispersion coating to create an effective barrier layer for demanding food and beverage packaging.
“World’s coffee cup markets are vast. No sustainable and responsible actor has provided plastic-free and easy-to-recycle products. Coffee cups covered with PE plastics can be recycled but globally it has been difficult and inefficient due to the separation process of plastic. It is great that Kotkamills can lead the way and act as a Game Changer in the industry” Kotkamills CEO Markku Hämäläinen states.
A traditional single-use coffee cup includes a barrier layer made from plastic, which prevents absorption of liquids and greases. The barrier layer in ISLA® Duo products is a water-based dispersion coating instead of PE plastic. Being plastic-free enables the products to be easily recyclable in normal paper and board recycling, and the wood fibre can be reused fully. ISLA® Duo cupstock doesn’t contain any waxes harmful for the health nor do they cumulate in the nature like plastic.
“Circular economy and keeping valuable materials in use as efficiently as possible are a key piece of the future. In this issue Kotkamills wants to act as an example and lead development. ISLA® Duo is enabling a plastic free future where recycling is easy and a part of our daily routines” Hämäläinen concludes.
